Sometimes it’s hard to believe that Callista Clark is still only just 19 years old. The Georgia native began writing songs aged 11, has performed alongside the likes of Jennifer Nettles and Chris Young, and wowed audiences on this side of the pond when she made her UK debut at C2C earlier this year. Now she’s back with her long-awaited debut album, ‘Real To Me: The Way I Feel’, which follows the EP she released last year.
The 10-track record opens with Clark’s debut single, ‘It’s ‘Cause I Am’. It’s a swaggering, playful song which shows off the richness in Clark’s voice as she dismisses an immature love interest, with a huge empowering chorus. I loved how the song oozes with confidence and the rocky touches to the production add a nice touch too.
That range of songs is one of the big selling points of this record, with Clark drawing on elements of rock and pop as well as country. ‘Change My Mind’, a twangy, heavy track with sassy lyrics balancing out Clark’s sweet vocals and a big soaring chorus, put me in mind of early Carrie Underwood, whilst the anthemic ‘Heartbreak Song’ sees her voice almost floating over the driving drumbeat before breaking into some serious belt! Elsewhere, the acoustic-led ‘Worst Guy Ever’ feels like a country-fied take on Beyoncé’s ‘If I Were A Boy’, as Clark sings about a guy not treating her right. I loved the little lyrical details (particularly ‘letting other girls steal your sweatshirt’) and the contrast between her soft tones and the song’s low-key cutting message – it wouldn’t have sounded out of place on one of Taylor Swift’s first records.
However, where Clark really shines is on the ballads. The bittersweet ‘Gave It Back Broken’ is an early standout, with Clark showing off her vocal range – including some impressive high notes on the chorus – and a real sense of maturity as she calls out an ex. Meanwhile, ‘Don’t Need It Anymore’ mixes pop elements with a big pre-chorus that sees Clark barely conceal the anger at her heartbreak, before descending into a sense of resignation and despair. It’s something even more established artists would struggle to deliver and I feel she pulls it off really well.
For me the standout track is current single ‘Brave Girl’, another piano-driven ballad featuring snippets of young women feeling held back or needing to change themselves, with Clark encouraging them to believe in themselves and embrace their flaws. The message of self-confidence comes through really strongly and I found the song very moving overall – it’s one that’s going to sound fantastic live with a crowd singing it back to her. I also loved ‘Wish You Wouldn’t’, which sees Clark singing about being drawn back into a relationship she knows isn’t great for her. The song has a great soulful quality and a retro 90s vibe – almost Mariah Carey-esque – as well as gorgeous delicate vocals, with a great blend of a piano melody and drum beats layered over the top.
After the bright, bouncy kiss-off anthem ‘Sad’, with its cheeky spoken word intro and funky groove, the album closes with the title track, which talks about Clark’s youth and how her experiences are just as real as anyone’s despite her age. The sparse arrangement makes the smooth quality of Clark’s voice stand out as she runs the gamut from delicate high notes all the way to fantastic runs, whilst the layered instrumentation builds from a sparse intro all the way to a powerful finish with rocky guitars. It has great emotional power and feels like it sums up the whole collection perfectly.
Overall ‘Real To Me: The Way I Feel’ is a solid debut album that draws on pop, rock and country influences, with some fantastically detailed songwriting and outstanding vocals from Clark. It’s a project that feels incredibly authentic and is full of heart and soul, with a great sense of storytelling running through the whole thing – by the end of it all, you feel like you’ve gone on a complete emotional journey with her. I’m really excited at how Clark is exploring her sound on this record and where she is musically right now, and am looking forward to seeing where she goes next (as well as to hearing some of these songs live in November when she’s back in the UK!).
Track listing: 1. It’s ‘Cause I Am 2. Gave It Back Broken 3. Change My Mind 4. Worst Guy Ever 5. Brave Girl 6. Wish You Wouldn’t 7. Heartbreak Song 8. Don’t Need It Anymore 9. Sad 10. Real To Me Record label: Big Machine Label Group Release date: 14th October 2022
See Callista live on tour in the UK with Brett Young this November:
Friday 11 November – Corn Exchange, Cambridge
Saturday 12 November – Academy 2, Manchester
Sunday 13 November – O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire, London
Tuesday 15 November – O2 Academy, Glasgow
Wednesday 16 November – O2 Institute, Birmingham
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